Achalasia and esophago-gastric junction outflow obstruction: focus on the subtypes

The choice between pneumatic dilation and surgical myotomy is mainly determined by the preference and expertise of the treating physician. Ideally, however, treatment should be personalized to provide the optimal clinical outcome. The introduction of high resolution manometry has not only improved the specificity to diagnose achalasia, but also identified three different manometric subclasses.

To review, the data suggesting differences in clinical response to treatment depending on the manometric profile.